AirSpaceMag.com

Printed Prototypes

Aerospace companies find new uses for 3D printers every day

The ability to print spare parts for the space station is still a few years off, but aerospace companies are already using 3D printers on the ground to create everything from concept models to prototype tools for a helicopter assembly line.

As the program manager in this Boeing video says, “You can go from your computer model to a physical prototype you can hold in your hand within an hour or two.”